CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXVI, Issue 7563, 6 May 1919, Page 5

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

The W.inganui Chamber of Com* , merce met last evening. Present:— Messrs L. JE. Bassett (president), E. "A. "« Campbell, Allan Robinson, G. H. Povrnall, T. B. Williams, S. Holm, J. Murray, A. Harris, L. Jones, R. W. Green, ii J." Williams, and J. T. Werry. f! WEIGHING OF WOOL. $ w A letter was received from the^ Nevr J Zealand Wool-Brokers' Association in •• regard to aUeged deductions from tiw \\ scale weight of wool. The report ol {,■& the last meeting of the .Wellington Pro- t ,'i vincial Farmers' Union at Palmeiston ' 'vpS North n-3me as a surprise, as statements "^ made "turned with inaccuracies." ';-' The writer enclosed a copy of a let- | ter sent to Mr Marshall, the president; <\ of the Union, which stated, intor alia, -\ regret at statements of such a damag- ; ■-> ing nature to woolbrokers without asoer- J taining their correctness. A serious -?'! statement was made an insinuation that \ \\\ by deducting 2lbs. per bale in addition ■■ M to the tare and draft, the brokers were • '4 profiting to the extent of the vatap ;A thereof. To this the brokers gave an emphatic denial. It was not the practice 'w| to make the alleged deduction. Tho '-^ writer said it came as a considerable -. \ surprise that Sir Jajnes Wilson should \,,* be'misinformed as to the system follow.. , cd. The general practice was to weigh *% the wool on entry into store, nnd the fjm weigths then taken are those that are ;'"S| invoiced to the Government and aciount saled to the grower. j|l The President (Mr Bassett) consider- ]?m cci it was unnecessary for the Chamber Vgw to go further into the matter, as the * /I$M Farmers' Union now had, the matter in fyM their hands. . • \||l Mr Allan Robinson sadd. the reply. r |9 of the president of the Woolbrokers 1 A*; ' :wM sociation was coirec* with one exception^ w$U |t simply traversed the conditions under -;C|M which brokers received wool and handed, ""jJH it over to the Imperial Purchase Conk- $■ missioners. They had never stated that" thero was any fraud as between the bnv \ :<MM leers and the Government, or between ':!aB the brokers and the fanners. The bro» "M>U kers had to invoice'to the Imperial Pu^'iSM chase Commissioners at the in weights, mH and as wool was likely to lose betwem '§§■ the in and out weights, the brokeri 'ISM were on the, horns of a dilemma. Yl^H Proceeding, Mr Robinson said no<&, *fH withstanding what had been said, it was jssH easy to prove that in the case of dome •tfjM brokers, deductions had been. made. He. would repeat that statement. Some bro* -^H kers deducted as much as 71bs., anil' ijfJH evidence that would satisfy any l&tr court could be produced at any tim«»,*, Tjj^B The communication was "received". J$M °n. y" TOURIST ATTRACTIONS. ; .J,/fjjH The Ohakune Chamber of Commem*'sJM asked for support of a proposal to ttHV/^jM struct a motor road to the foot of BtuU^^H pehu, and to provide an acconvnodation^ >i>^H house for tourists. ' • ts^M Mr T. B Williams ensidered & more important^ to urge the construction j.isJ^B of roads into the interior from Wang>i&-|~JB nui, to reach €ne inland settlers. Wb.tf.ti 13|M these roads were constructed, .he woiiM^^B no* object to tourist reads. It ,to cater for pleasure seekers, but it'waa;-fj^H [more important to cater for the wa^tgjrf^^B The President considered both coukl-i^^B go hand in hand. Provided, the^ biul.^^H tourist centres, tourists would be an »hl%|^H lin haying public works carried oat. '•''^t:W^M \ Other members'pointed out there'wiiiJ^H a proposal to give access to the t°uri>t'g||^B district from Waiouru. ' " . \J|^H " It was decided to support the moftfefl^H ment to give access to the National P^fcfJ^H at the most serviceable point or pomts'^j^B SAND-DRIFT. . iijH The Fos-ton Chamber of Ctomn»rc*S^M urged that Messrs Field, Newman atid/ij^H Veitoh, M.P.'s, be asked_ to bring un->->'j^M der the notice of the Minister of £ajjUl*^'l^M the necessity for taking steps to stop tb.es? f^H sand drift menace along the coast i. beij I^H tween Paekakariki and Wanganui, aaWj^B to recotnrnend thd Crown to acquire siMilt^^H waste lands for afforestation or oth£rT!<i^H purposes. . * \^H 3VIr E. A. Campbell considered there^-*~^H was no trouble to stop the sand-drift,1 9&f|^H was done at other places. Thouisahd^:'^^| of acres had been reclaimed in New Z«*V?-j^H land. In the area referred to the Gi'V-jJ^B eminent; owned a lot of the land ,&tou<^;J^H the coast, but had taken no steps in th&;]^H matter. It was no use talking itboutarj^H planting trees until the area had firstG^M been planted with marram grass' £tt&|^H Mr J Williams said forty i>.cres oIV^H pines had been planted at Otaki, nghtfj^H on the sand. i'^^l The President said public bodies v^rJßtj^H taking metal along the coast, and tnia'^^^B allowed a huge amount of sand to The Government had,been urged 'o dcf^i^H something to stop erosion at Moawbn^ng^'^^H domain, and one settler ait Kai had lost about twenty acres of land. i%i^^| Mr A. Harris related* an instaiKti^^H where a road was made on the blocx^^^H of land between the mouths of the R'*fri|^^B gitikei and Manawatu rivers. It FaS^^H clear on a Saturday, but on the Joll°lYjf^^B ing Monday had nine feet deep cf Elte%'^^H over it. There were other cases whejra^^H in a few weeks land was covered 40 <^j^^| 50 feet with sand, while other land W,^^^H uncovered. The President considered that up 'fi^^H Waitotara Point should be taken in. !^^^| With this addition it as decided support the Foxton Chamber, also *%^^H onlist the help of Mr Pearce, M.P.- V ?<^^J RAILWAY FACILITIES. ,'!^H The Wanganui Borough Council urged^^^f support of the movement to induce th&j^^H Department to improve the WanganUJ^^H East railway siation and to proridej|^^H trucking facilities for stock. ■ '-!^^H Mr Harris said a few years ago tyf^^H Chamber had gone fully into the mat^^^H ter, but without result. ,^^H Mr E. A. Campbell said the iruckin->^^M facilities for stock at Wanganui sta,tion^^B were an absolute disgrace. Some peoplo^^^l who had sent stock to the Wangamii^^H Show would not do so again. .' ' It was decided to support the "QWi^^^B ough Council. t^^^l THE CONFERENCE. '-^^| Ib was decided, to endeavour to nJ^^^| range with the Wanganui Beaatifyin^^^H Society for a joint representative the approachinic Town Planning Con^^^H ference in Wellington. .^^^H